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Naval sword


Pippo

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And newly arrived naval sword. Does anyone know what the small hanger knot under the standard sword tassel is? Its the second one ive come across and 1st one i though was a cotton ribbon with pull knot someone had added but now im gathering it was issued

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That is a retention cord, it would be wrapped around one of the hangers to secure the handle as these didn't have locking buttons. They must have been quite common as you can see them used in many period photos but not many survived or were simply discarded.

 

post-3926-0-94216400-1546678050.thumb.jpg.8337dd1d649eb4a1f6b20d515ff8f1e2.jpg

 

 

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There's a real name for these that I've never gotten committed to memory, but John is spot-on.  Here's another example with associated reg pages.  @Pippo, have you gotten the mei translated?  I'd like to add the photos to my Showa stamp files.  Also, fair to assume no date on the other side?

18EB1F69-E40C-459A-BA93-57DAA09391AA.thumb.jpg.a1ca1a51a22f894a1bcfddeb5acc425c.jpgb.jpg.4b017e564e6f352af1076f0e10e270b7.jpgd.jpg.3a4a6363682996f4435d76fb0bebdd17.jpg

 

More questions - Is that rayskin same' or fabric?  Can you tell if all the metal fittings were originally gilded and painted and have somehow been degraded, or are they possibly late-war, non gilded, non-painted?  I have seen a couple of late-war kaigunto with upgraded saya, like yours, but it's not common.  I have a kai with an ancient blade in it, with similar fittings.  I can see places where the original gilding is there, but most of the gilding on all of the parts is faded, or worn, or degraded away somehow.  Even the black lacquer on the same' is mostly missing.  And whatever paint or patina that used to be on the tsuba/seppa set is gone.  The sharkskin on the saya is worn and shows buckling at the seems.  It looks like it laid in a swamps for a few weeks before someone picked it up. 

 

A bit of a mystery to me.  I cannot imagine how all the gilding would have disappeared.

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8 hours ago, Bruce Pennington said:

There's a real name for these that I've never gotten committed to memory, but John is spot-on.  Here's another example with associated reg pages.  @Pippo, have you gotten the mei translated?  I'd like to add the photos to my Showa stamp files.  Also, fair to assume no date on the other side?

18EB1F69-E40C-459A-BA93-57DAA09391AA.thumb.jpg.a1ca1a51a22f894a1bcfddeb5acc425c.jpgb.jpg.4b017e564e6f352af1076f0e10e270b7.jpgd.jpg.3a4a6363682996f4435d76fb0bebdd17.jpg

 

More questions - Is that rayskin same' or fabric?  Can you tell if all the metal fittings were originally gilded and painted and have somehow been degraded, or are they possibly late-war, non gilded, non-painted?  I have seen a couple of late-war kaigunto with upgraded saya, like yours, but it's not common.  I have a kai with an ancient blade in it, with similar fittings.  I can see places where the original gilding is there, but most of the gilding on all of the parts is faded, or worn, or degraded away somehow.  Even the black lacquer on the same' is mostly missing.  And whatever paint or patina that used to be on the tsuba/seppa set is gone.  The sharkskin on the saya is worn and shows buckling at the seems.  It looks like it laid in a swamps for a few weeks before someone picked it up. 

 

A bit of a mystery to me.  I cannot imagine how all the gilding would have disappeared.

Yes rayskin same, Georgie trotters hopefully popping by in next few weeks as i was going to ask him about the fittings as they struck me as odd but dont think theyve been buffed clean removing the normail gilt and paint as condition elsewhere on handle is extremely good and untouched.

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16 hours ago, Bruce Pennington said:

@Pippo - am I safe in assuming there is no date on the other side?

George Trotter just had a look at, no date, fittings he thinks the finish/bluings just faded-worn, black ray to the handle, gave me heaps as just realised im a kiwi after a number of years of treating me civilly 🤣

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1 hour ago, Pippo said:

George Trotter just had a look at, no date, fittings he thinks the finish/bluings just faded-worn, black ray to the handle, gave me heaps as just realised im a kiwi after a number of years of treating me civilly 🤣

 

Could be worse mate, you might have been a closet Pom. :glee:

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Bruce, gotta watch out for Poms and Kiwis...we Aussies have heaps of them running loose here haha.

I have to admit though, even though I am an Aussie, I spent 3 years in Kent in England...I worked in a pub there, they liked me and called me their pet kangaroo (I used to say "watch out you don't upset me and get me hopping mad") - we'd all laugh...great times.

I also spent time in US and Canada (in mining). I married a girl from Chicago...great.

She has been to kiwi-land...I never went there...(if you have lived/worked in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia and Alaska you have already seen heaven...no need to go anywhere else like Switzerland or New Zealand)...

BTW, I drove Landrovers as my 'car of choice' from 1966-2010...great car, great times.

Regards,

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